The History of Caffeine

According to Chinese legend, the Chinese emperor, Shenong, back in around 3000 BCE, accidentally discovered tea when some leaves fell into boiling water. In 1819, a German chemist named Friedleb Ferdinand Rung isolated relatively pure caffeine for the first time. Isolated caffeine is a bitter tasting white odorless powder that is moderately soluble in water at room temperature and very soluble in boiling water. It is absorbed by the small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion and distributed throughout all body tissues.